Right now I hate this stupid quilt. Time to walk away for a while.
#11
An applique chinese lantern would be perfect, and a play on the theme as well. The plant not the light. I would run a plant up the border from the bottom and cover the whole with the flower.
#13
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Piedmont Virginia in the Foothills of the Blue Ridge Mtns.
Posts: 8,562
I remember the first time I saw Kumiko Sudo's folded flower quilts - some as individual blocks - at Houston Quilt Festival in the 1990s, I was stunned, they were so new and different and amazing! Her colors were beautiful, the context of the flowers were lovely. A friend and I stood for 45 minutes in that smallish section of the show and studied each one carefully. When her book came out I sold a lot of them in my shop.
I have her first book somewhere in my library but not all are unpacked; I fear it is in the attic where it may have suffered heat damage. The flowers are so much more interesting than the usual appliqued or dimensional flower.
Hmmmm, got to make the effort to find that book and perhaps make my own Japanese themed quilt on which to use them!
Jan in VA
I have her first book somewhere in my library but not all are unpacked; I fear it is in the attic where it may have suffered heat damage. The flowers are so much more interesting than the usual appliqued or dimensional flower.
Hmmmm, got to make the effort to find that book and perhaps make my own Japanese themed quilt on which to use them!
Jan in VA
#16
I once created a couple small holes in a pinwheel quilt. Three times my needle broke while machine quilting and I finally figured out that it was when the needle hit the pinwheel right in the middle where the points all came together. I marked my little holes with a marker and finished quilting making sure I avoided those thick centers. Then I put a drop of fray check on the small holes so they wouldn't get bigger when the quilt was used and washed. I looked for the holes again after washing the quilt and couldn't even find them!! So depending on the size of your hole, this could be another solution.
#17
Power Poster
Join Date: May 2009
Location: NY
Posts: 10,590
I really like Jan's idea of a folded fabric origami flower. Another option is a butterfly or moth. We all know how moths are attracted to lantern light after dark and one being attracted to your Japanese lantern would also fit right into theme. Some moths are quite beautiful like luna moths and there are some really beautiful asian print fabrics and batiks that feature butterflies. I would fussy cut one out and stuff it up like trapunto so it was 3-D. Perhaps cut out two of the same motif and use the back of the fabric as the bottom of the butterfly. Then you could do just the one applique.
#18
#19
Ok, got it finished & took a pic...The quilt itself is all pastel baby colors (I went into my already cut squares & partial 1 1/2" strips & just started putting like sizes together into panels, then put them all together building around the center panel I made snowball squares). When I saw the 2 smudges on it that I couldn't get off; I have this butterfly fabric that I use for appliques on different things & it's with primary colors...but I actually think it works & brightens up the quilt. What do you think? So, yes, applique will be your answer to your problem. Just a design opportunity! Go for it!
#20
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 338
I remember the first time I saw Kumiko Sudo's folded flower quilts - some as individual blocks - at Houston Quilt Festival in the 1990s, I was stunned, they were so new and different and amazing! Her colors were beautiful, the context of the flowers were lovely. A friend and I stood for 45 minutes in that smallish section of the show and studied each one carefully. When her book came out I sold a lot of them in my shop.
I have her first book somewhere in my library but not all are unpacked; I fear it is in the attic where it may have suffered heat damage. The flowers are so much more interesting than the usual appliqued or dimensional flower.
Hmmmm, got to make the effort to find that book and perhaps make my own Japanese themed quilt on which to use them!
Jan in VA
I have her first book somewhere in my library but not all are unpacked; I fear it is in the attic where it may have suffered heat damage. The flowers are so much more interesting than the usual appliqued or dimensional flower.
Hmmmm, got to make the effort to find that book and perhaps make my own Japanese themed quilt on which to use them!
Jan in VA
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01-31-2011 12:50 AM